Definitely older, possibly wiser….

Silver Linings

Sometimes life throws us a curve ball, and sometimes life throws us several curve balls all at once. When that happens, all we can do is try our best to cope with the situation and trust that things will eventually get better.

Last Thursday, I went to the animal shelter where I volunteer and signed the papers to foster Stanley, a Beagle-mix that was sick with kennel cough. He’s a sweet dog, and I knew he would get better much faster at our house. I was also hoping that if everything went well, I’d be able to adopt him once he was healthy. So I loaded Stanley in my car and headed for home. Halfway there, I realized he was peeing all over the car seat (thank goodness I’d thought to cover it with pee-pads). I told him to stop, which he did. Unfortunately, he promptly threw up instead. And not just on the pee-pads.

These things happen, so I was annoyed, but not too upset. I put him in the back yard, pulled on some rubber gloves and cleaned up the mess. It took awhile since the vomit managed to seep into almost every nook and cranny in the car (I had to use a toothpick to scrape it away from the gear shift), but by the time I was finished, no one would ever know a dog had used the front seat of my car as his personal toilet.

My grandson had been sick with RSV since Wednesday, and I was planning to babysit for him on Friday. But his symptoms worsened dramatically, so we ended up taking him the emergency room on Friday morning where they promptly admitted him to the hospital. The next two days were a blur of very little sleep, trying to help my daughter and son-in-law without being intrusive, and a whole lot of worry. There is just something so wrong about a baby in a hospital gown.

And just to make things even more interesting, our furnace decided to quit working Friday night, on the eve of what promised to be the coldest day of the year. The good news was a service man was able to come to our house first thing Saturday morning. The bad news was that we needed a part that cost $1,300 and wasn’t going to be available until Monday, or possibly Tuesday. All I can say is that I’m very grateful for space heaters.

So, one way or another, it’s been a rough weekend and a very long week. But life is nothing but a series of ups and downs, and things are finally on the upswing. Our grandson got to come home last Sunday afternoon, and a few days later was back to his normal happy, healthy self. Our furnace is working again. The foster dog has settled in nicely and appears to be housebroken. Even the nasty cold that I managed to catch mid-week is starting to fade, making me hope that I might actually get to enjoy the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

If I’d had my way, most of the events of the past week would never have happened. But they did, and the good thing is, we got through them. In the process, we were reminded that we’re stronger and more resilient than we thought, and that we have many people we can count on for support when we need them. And that gives me hope for the next time life throws a curve ball our way…..

Thanks, Donna! Unfortunately, we’ve hit a snag with Stanley, but that will be the subject for another post. Suffice it to say that black cloud is hanging over us for just a little while longer still, but things will work out eventually.

Sorry to hear about these events as we’ll call them, and that Evan is out of the hospital. It’s very scary for parents and all when kids are in the hospital especially ones as small as him. Better days ahead! Love to all.

I had to look up RSV, it sounds yucky. I’m sure seeing the grandson in a hospital gown was the most troubling of all, and I’m happy that he’s back to his old self already. That’s the great thing about kids, they get better much faster than us “middle aged” people do. Glad things are looking up, Ann. Have a great weekend, hope you get to enjoy both Stanley and the grandson!

Thanks so much, Des! I’d never heard of RSV either, although they most little ones get it. For most, it just presents as a very bad cold, but for an unfortunate few, it turns into bronchialitis or pneumonia and then it gets very serious. We’re lucky our grandson’s bout with it wasn’t worse, and so happy he’s home and well!

The one good thing, after we have gone through a major crisis, is that we can look back with that special kind of awareness that we had not only survived the crisis, but also were equipped with the confidence to deal with the next one that is thrown sooner or later in our life’s path.

That’s exactly how I feel, Peter! Honestly, I used to sort of be afraid of major problems, because I secretly believed I couldn’t handle them. But now that I’m sixty and the veteran of both large and small “curve balls” I am much less afraid because I know that whatever comes, I’ll just handle it to the best of my ability. And pray, a lot!

When it rains it pours! I’ve been there with the RSV and it is terrifying. Glad he is on the mend and so are you! Stress weakens immune systems so it is no wonder you’ve caught a bug. Hope you are all better by the holiday – Sounds like you’ve got plenty to be thankful for!!

Thank you! Yes, I think I either got “adult version” (very bad cold) from my grandson, or as you say, just caught some other bug because of the stress. But we do have so much to be thankful for this year, and the health of my grandson is right at the top of the list!

Good luck with your new little dog, Ann. He is very lucky to have been adopted by such a loving family.

I’m so glad you’re grandson recovered quickly. How worrying that must have been. That flu I thought I had in July was actually RSV and I was extraordinarily unwell. It’s nasty, especially for little ones.

At this point, he’s just a foster dog and it looks like we may not be able to adopt him after all. The safety of our grandson comes first, and I’m confident he will find the right home (free of small children). Still, it’s very sad because I really was planning to adopt him and I like him very much. I’ll post more details later.
And thanks for your good thoughts on our grandson. It was so scary to have him in the hospital and on oxygen. But he has rebounded and is healthy again, and for that we are very, very grateful!

Well done you … what a load of curved balls Ann, but you rolled up your sleeves and got on with it … little ones and their illness, it’s just too scary … glad things have settled!
Enjoy your celebrations 🙂

I’m glad to hear that things are on the up again Ann. This post is timely for me as I sit and type this with my left arm in a cast (and will be for six weeks) and after a spate of devastating news these past few weeks. Yes, life is definitely full of ups and downs. Take care xx

Yes, that was the worst part of it all, by far. The other things were just annoyances we didn’t want to deal with while we were trying to concentrate on our grandson. And now he is well, so we are happy campers once again!

What a week for you and your family. I’m glad to know that you got through all these struggles. Life is definitely a lot of ups and downs, but resiliency is the super power we all need to drive through them. Happy Thanksgiving, Ann!

So glad to hear your grandson has fully recovered, and that your new dog has settled in, and sorry to hear about the unexpected household bill. Great blog post though!
Your calm resilience, warmth and self awareness shone through in this piece of writing.
You set us all a very good example to aspire to.
I particularly noted how you said about wanting to offer support without being intrusive, whilst at the same time full of worry and no sleep yourself; even so you were able to maintain your awareness. And the car mess and clean up!
Many people would have cried, lost their temper or felt defeated (maybe all three)! I liked the way you noticed how you felt but kept calm and put your gloves on! And I love the level of detail eg the toothpick; the reader just knows how bad that task must have been and is right there sympathising with you!

Thanks so much Sadie! But believe me, I wasn’t calm throughout. I had my moments, and once they were over, that’s when I put on my “big girl panties” and just dealt with what was in front of me. I think that’s the key: allow ourselves to feel our emotions, but don’t get stuck in that state. There comes a time when we have to move on and fix what we can fix, and accept what we can’t.
Glad you like the toothpick detail! Honestly, there wasn’t any other way to get the vomit out of the little slot next to the gear shift. That vomit was everywhere!!!

Glad its all over Ann. What I have learnt is that while such things unfold all we can do is just handle the situation. It’s only when the worst is over and we sit back and think about it that we realize we are way stronger than what we thought we are…

Yes, that’s been my experience too. I guess if bad things never happened, we’d live our lives having no idea how strong we actually can be when necessary. And knowing that we have that resilience and strength is a good thing. Thanks for the comment!

What a week! I’m so sorry life throw all those curve balls at you but I’m glad things are looking better already, especially for your grandson. Our heater once broke down too on the coldest days since years, let’s just say I was happy there was some whiskey in the house. 😉

Yes, whiskey helps too! Or in our case, wine. But we were very lucky that we were able to use some space heaters to keep the parts of the house we needed to use warm enough for a couple of days. And even luckier that my grandson has made a full recovery!

“Up at bat, Ann Coleman!” Swing, batter, swing! Oh, boy. What a week for you. Events like yours make it easier to understand what it means to be thankful through, during, and while enduring all things. Things always will cause you to look up, rather than throw-up. LOL Hugs.

Wow you went through a lot! But your thoughtful introspection and extrospection (that doesn’t seem to be a word but should be) help to remind me that we can come out of bad experiences on the other side.

so glad that things are looking better for you and your family. i have always wondered why everything happens at once, but then, maybe that’s a good thing. when the storm is over everything looks so much brighter!

That’s a good point, Laura! Sometimes, when several things go wrong at once, I think “Really? This had to happen now?” But if the bad things were really spread out, it would mean there wouldn’t be any good times. So, maybe it is best to have them all at once!

It seems to hit all at once. I am so happy your grandson has recovered and you are warm again. Feel better and it sounds like you have a new fur family member. Many hugs! Have a beautiful Thanksgiving! 😍💗

Sadly, the foster dog is not working out to adopt. He won’t be safe around a young child, and we have to put our grandson’s safety first. Still, I know that we did the right thing to foster him, as it gave him a chance to get well out of the shelter environment. I had hoped I’d found our new dog, but it was not meant to be.
Thanks for the hugs…those are appreciated…and have a great Thanksgiving too!

I know I’ve been out of touch for a while, but I always love reading your posts, and this one is no exception. I’ve been a bit stressed over planning Thanksgiving and just sat down to read this post. It truly helped me put life in perspective and was a great reminder that the support we have to get through the tougher times is precious. Happy Thanksgiving!

I am so glad that you had support to get through those tough times. Glad to hear that you will get a break from pedaling so hard and hopefully you will coast through Thanksgiving. Wishing you a love-filled day.

I’m so sorry you had to endure all that you did especially the scare with your little grandson. You’re right, children in hospital gowns is something we can all live without seeing. I’m glad everyone is better and things have taken a more positive turn. It seems when one thing goes bad, sometimes the dominos start to fall and we can’t seem to do anything to stop them. But we survive and learn and persevere. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, Ann.

Thanks, George, we did have a good thanksgiving. And I know you are all too familiar with grandsons in hospital gowns, so I really appreciate your good wishes. Luckily, he’s just fine now and we are all so relieved! Take care, and I hope you and your family have a great Christmas!

I am relieved to hear that your grandson is better, Ann. He must have inherited your fortitude and positive outlook. As he grows older, he should also be able to hit life’s curveballs out of the ballpark.